Did you ever wonder why that small or mid-sized metal band you love in recordings sound like “mud” on stage?
It is not talent and the reason behind may surprise you.
An Interview with Jason Bowman of The Yagas
(Güzin Paksoylu – Metal Oda 2025)
New York–based alternative rock/metal band The Yagas have made a powerful entrance into the metal music scene in 2024, generating wide excitement with their haunting sound and the presence of acclaimed actress Vera Farmiga as their vocalist. Their music is powerful, cinematic, and emotionally charged.
The band name Yagas evokes mystery and folklore, drawn from Baba Yaga — the wild witch of Slavic forests, a guardian of thresholds and transformation. Neither wholly good nor entirely evil, she is a figure of ambiguity: luminous and terrifying, destructive and protective. This duality shapes the band’s aesthetic and creative identity.
We spoke with Jason Bowman — drummer of The Yagas and founder of the Rock Academy — about the origins, philosophy, and future of the band.
Echoes of Gothenburg
An Interview with Niclas Engelin of The Halo Effect
(Interview by Güzin Paksoylu – Metal Oda, Istanbul 2025)
There are sounds that define an era — and then there are those that transcend it. The Gothenburg scene was never just a location on a map; it was an emotional landscape where melody and aggression found their fragile equilibrium. With The Halo Effect, guitarist Niclas Engelin and his companions revisit that space of creation — not to relive the past, but to reawaken it with new light.
As they prepare to perform in Istanbul on November 22, we spoke with Niclas about the past and the of the metal scene, and the thrill of live performances.
Since 1990, Wacken Open Air has reigned as one of the world’s most legendary metal festivals. Held annually in the tiny village of Wacken in Northern Germany’s Schleswig-Holstein region (just above Hamburg), this rural open-air experience brings thousands of metal music fans together from all over the globe. By now, visitors are affectionately called “metal pilgrims.”
** METAL ODA EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW **
Metal Oda and brutalcore band Mental Maze had a candid chat on metal music, origins of Mental Maze and being a metal band in the Middle East:
Muse and Metal Music: The Surprising Overlap You Need to Know
In 2025, there is an explosion of metal bands scheduled to perform concerts in our country: from Gojira to Avenged Sevenfold, from Guns N’ Roses to Manowar, it is practically a metal overload. Rock and metal enthusiasts, who are trying to process all these concerts while also considering their budget, now find themselves caught in discussions about whether Muse will also come to Turkey. Well, it is the perfect time to explore why the metal community loves the band Muse so much.
*METAL ODA EXCLUSIVE*
Today, I want to take a closer look at Unbelievable Truth, an English rock band that has always resonated deeply with me.
Formed in 1993 in Oxford, England, the band is led by Andy Yorke, joined by Nigel Powell, Jason Moulster, and Jim Crosskey. The name of the band is inspired by Hal Hartley movie “The Unbelievable Truth”, a proper reference for a band making music with a profound emotional weight.
Kuzey ülkelerinin vazgeçilmez melankolisinin ve atmosferik müziğin karanlık sularında dolaşan Britanyalı Antimatter müzik kariyerindeki 25. Yılını kutlamak için çıktığı turne kapsamında, 5 yıl aradan sonra Türkiye’deki hayranlarıyla buluştu. Hüzünlü melodileri ve derin sözleriyle dinleyicisini içine çeken, eşsiz bir müzikal kimliğe sahip dark rock grubu, Anathema’nın mirasından sıyrılıp kendi kimliğini oluştururken, Mick Moss ve ekibi, yıllar içinde melankolik ve karanlık rock sahnesinin en derinlikli gruplarından birine dönüştü.
1998 yılında Duncan Patterson (ex-Anathema) ve Mick Moss tarafından kurulan grup, başından beri duygusal yoğunluğu yüksek bir müzik yaratmayı hedefledi. Patterson’ın ayrılmasıyla Moss’un tek başına sürdürdüğü Antimatter, yıllar içinde kendi çizgisini koruyarak daha da olgunlaştı ve günümüzde melankolik müziğin en güçlü temsilcilerinden biri haline geldi.
Who is Banksy?
Banksy is one of the most mysterious and influential street artists of our time. His true identity remains unknown, yet his work—marked by sharp social criticism, political messages, and a rebellious spirit—has earned him worldwide fame. Emerging from UK Bristol’s underground graffiti scene, Banksy has evolved from a street artist into a cultural icon whose works now sell for millions of dollars. Despite this, he maintains a strong anti-capitalist stance.
Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham in Their Shadow
When talking about the United Kingdom and music, the first cities that come to mind are Manchester and Liverpool. However, Birmingham, the birthplace of heavy metal and home to legendary bands like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and half of Led Zeppelin, as well as Electric Light Orchestra and Duran Duran, has unfortunately remained in the shadow of these two cities.
Among the cities that shaped modern music, Liverpool emerged in the 1960s with The Beatles and the Merseybeat movement, while Manchester became the center of post-punk, Britpop, and alternative rock. Located just 56 km apart, these two cities stood out by leading the evolution of British music.